Inertia
by Matchbox Dragon
Summary: One-shot. Layla has to deal with a sudden change of status after publicly using her powers at Homecoming.


_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Sky High or its characters, settings etc, all of which belong to Disney._

**Inertia**

_**Inertia**__ (noun) :-  
__The tendency to continue in some state  
__unless acted on by an outside force;  
__To resist change._

The Commander had called them all heroes, but the only one whose status actually changed at all was Layla.

The Homecoming dance started again and Principal Powers circulated around the gym, talking in turn to each of the six teenagers involved in saving the school. Much as she wanted to hear what had actually happened, her main motive was to find out how the Pennies had ended up strung up in vines. As far as she knew, there was no one in the school with that kind of power. But when she found out, it didn't actually come as that much of a surprise. The ability to control plants was perfectly in character for the outspoken hippie.

The Principal waited tactfully for Will and Layla to finish… dancing… in mid-air and come back into the gym for a glass of punch, before taking the redhead aside.

"Layla, dear, I know that the system is not perfect and I commend you for taking a stand for your beliefs, but I think you may be taking it a little far."

Layla just smiled stiffly and waited for her to go on. She'd thought the reason the Principal had wanted to talk to her was something to do with getting caught… dancing… with Will, but apparently that had nothing to do with it.

"So I'm going to transfer you to Hero class on Monday."

"But Principal Powers," Layla objected as politely as she could manage, "If I do that then I would be supporting the system that you've just agreed is flawed."

"And if you don't, you'll be wasting your talent and denying the world the benefit of having a superhero with your powers. You're in this to save the world, aren't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"The best way to do that is to nurture your potential as a hero. In Hero class."

* * *

_**Resist**__ (verb) :-  
__Stop or hinder the progress or course;  
__Strive against, oppose, refuse to yield to._

"I just don't see why it's necessary for me to be in Hero class in order to be able to save the world!"

Layla, Will and the rest of the sidekicks were gathered in the Strongholds' living room the next day to discuss the situation, and the others couldn't understand her reluctance to be promoted.

"Go for it, Layla," Zach encouraged her. "It's what every sidekick dreams of, man, to get out of loserville and be one of the real heroes."

"It shouldn't have to be!" Layla ranted, and he held up his hands in surrender. "And they're no more 'real' heroes than the rest of us."

"Newsflash, Layla: that's the way it is, and it's unlikely to change anytime soon," remarked Magenta. "Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to be accepted?"

"It must be really cool," enthused Ethan. He was the one who had told the Principal about her powers; not because he was a snitch, but because he honestly believed his friend deserved better than to be treated as just another sidekick. "You should try it."

Layla turned to her best-friend-turned-boyfriend. "What do _you_ think, Will?"

"Just because I've tried both classes, doesn't make me an expert on it," he said, looking a bit apologetic. "Look, we'll support you whatever you choose – right, guys?" The others agreed although it was obvious what they wanted her to do, and Will went on, "But here's a thought: in Hero class you'd be hanging around with, say, the class president and all the chairmen of whatever committees and stuff –"

"– or chair_women_ –"

"– basically, the people who can help to make changes to the system."

Her eyes sparkled in excitement as she realized he was onto something. "Will, that's brilliant! Maybe if I'm one of them, they'll take me more seriously."

And so, on Monday morning when Mr. Boy presented her with her new schedule, she took it without argument, eager to start her self-appointed mission to infiltrate the ruling class and make them see reason.

* * *

_**Yield**__ (verb) :-  
__To give way to pressure or force;  
__To give way to argument, persuasion, influence, or entreaty._

One Friday at the Paper Lantern, about a month after Homecoming, Warren had a serious dose of déjà vu which stopped him in his tracks at Layla's table.

"This is getting to be a bit of a bad habit," he said with significant look at the empty seat across from her, even though this was actually only the second time he'd seen her there alone.

"Oh, don't worry, it's not that Will stood me up," she replied quickly. "I actually came to see you, considering you're so unapproachable at school."

So far the anti-social pyro had declined each of their numerous daily invitations to join them at lunch, in the stands during Save the Citizen and to hang out after school. He'd become even more reclusive after things went south with Freeze-Girl, to the point of hiding out in the library during lunch when the gang started besieging his table in the cafeteria.

"So you thought you'd try to corner me at work."

"Yeah."

"Pity about the fact that I'm actually supposed to be _working_," he responded pointedly.

"Yeah," she repeated, looking so downcast that he took pity on her and sat down with a sigh.

"Okay, five minutes. Talk fast."

She brightened up immediately and launched into her explanation. "Well, like I said, you make it impossible for us to talk to you at school and –"

"Yeah, we already covered that bit," he interrupted.

"No, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Why don't you want to sit with us?"

He sat back with a sigh. "What, you just assume that because we save the school together now we're automatically all buddies? Aren't I allowed to want to be alone?"

"Sure, if that's what you actually _want_. But I don't think it is. I think you'd like to hang around with friends at school."

"Yeah, I'm sure we can all just see that," he scoffed. "Warren Peace having _friends_."

"Oh, so that's what it's all about," she replied with a knowing smile. "You have a reputation to protect."

He looked a bit uncomfortable. "It's not that simple."

"Isn't it? You've cultivated this whole image of the anti-social, don't-care-what-anyone-thinks attitude, but actually it's all fake."

"Fake?"

"Well, if you _really_ didn't care what anyone thinks, then you wouldn't care if anyone saw you having friends," she reasoned. "Do you see the irony?"

He looked at her for a long moment and then sighed. "Okay, maybe you got me there." But before she could get too pleased with herself, he leaned forward and added, "Although, you're not exactly one to talk about not being real, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you've bought into the system you claimed you stand against."

Layla exploded. "I have not! I joined the Hero track so that I would be a voice in the right places to uplift Hero Support and –"

Warren held up a hand to interrupt her tirade. He had no doubt about her intentions at the time she transferred. "Yes, but lately?" he asked pointedly.

"Well, I, I …" She trailed off as he raised his eyebrows in mild challenge.

It was true. The first week in Hero class she'd spoken up all the time about the unfair discrimination, but then gradually she'd gotten… comfortable. It was so much easier to just go with the flow, particularly considering she wasn't the one being ostracized for once, plus she had a lot of work to do to catch up with the rest of the class and that took up most of her energy. It wasn't that she supported the dichotomy in any way or acted superior towards her sidekick friends, but she hadn't exactly been active in standing up for them lately either.

"I guess you're right." She seemed to droop, and so did the flower on the table.

"And that's another thing," Warren remarked when he noticed that. "Popsicle told me that at your Power Placement you were all '_I don't believe in using my powers unless the situation demands it'_, but I keep seeing you use them whenever you feel like it."

He was right about that too. She couldn't believe how blind she'd been.

Layla buried her face in her hands. "Oh Warren, I'm such a fake."

He got up and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. "To a greater or lesser extent, aren't we all?" he remarked wryly, and he went back to work, leaving her with a lot to think about.

Himself too, actually.

* * *

The next Monday found Layla back in sidekick class and vociferously lobbying for equal rights again, although strangely quiet on the topic of only using powers at appropriate times. 

And Warren joined the gang at lunch.

_**Change**__ (verb) :-  
__To__ make the form, nature, content, future course, etc. of something  
__different from what it is  
__or from what it would be if left alone._


End file.
